Ipoh

Attraction in Ipoh

Gua Tempurung

Gua Tempurung is a cave in Gopeng, Perak, Malaysia. It is popular among spelunkers, or caving enthusiasts. About 3 km long, it is one of the longest caves in Peninsula Malaysia. Part of it has been developed as a show cave with electric lighting and walkways and there are a range of tours of different lengths and difficulty. A fine river cave, the river passage runs about 1.6 km through the hill. There are three very large chambers and some spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.

Located in Gopeng, about 24km south of the capital city of Ipoh in Perak, this limestone cave is one of the largest in Peninsular Malaysia. Although not as big as Niah Cave and Mulu Cave in Sarawak, beginners to caving exploration will be glad to know that this cave is easy to explore. The tunnel of the cave runs from the east to the west covering a distance of about 2km under the limestone hills known as Gunung Tempurung and Gunung Gajah. It is made up of 5 large domes and is believed to have existed since 8,000 B.C., about 10,000 years ago.

It comprises of five huge domes with cielings resembling cocunut shells. Each of these domes has different calcium formations and marble there exist in differing temperatures and water levels. These caves are famous for its breathtaking gallery of stalagmites, stalactites and other amazing rock formations that are superb speleological wonders, found only in this part of the world.

Kellie Castle

Kellie’s Castle was built by a Scottish planter his name called William Kellie Smith from a little town in Scotland. He built the building for his beloved wife and the building structure same reason point (a symbol of love) such as Shah Jahan (Taj Mahal). But the love of the stories was different.

In 1890 (as Malaysia was known at the times), a young Smith at the age of 20 left his home farm in Kellas for Malaya. It is not known why he ventured to Malaya for career opportunities much less when he actually arrived. However, he integrated in to the community with ease. He bounced around several business opportunities finding some success but it wasn’t until he met an estate owner called Alma Baker. Baker obtained several government projects to built roads in South Perak and had won concessions from the state government to clear 360 hectares of forests in Perak. Their partnership in these projects led to quite a bit of profits.

Smith started planting rubber trees and dabbled in the tin mining industry. In time, he became the owner of Kinta Kellas Estate and the Kinta Kellas Tin Dredging Company and to purchase a 960 acre piece of land for his rubber tree plantation and homely estate in Batu Gajah.

Through various business ventures such as Planting Rubber Trees and the Tin Mining Industry, Smith’s wealth grew. In 1903, he returned to Scotland to marry his sweetheart Agnes. He brought her back to his home in Malaysia and later that year the couple was blessed with a daughter named Helen. He loved his daughter but wanted a son, an heir to his empire. Poor Agnes found it hard to conceive a second child. It was another eleven years before she became pregnant again. In 1915, Agnes gave birth to a son named Anthony. In celebration, Smith began planning the construction of a huge castle. Because of his fascination of the Hindu religion and India, he incorporated much of the elements in to his new home. Bricks and tiles were imported from India. He even enlisted the help of 70 Indian workers from Madras of South India as skilled laborers for the construction of the mansion.

Unfortunate, he ran in to one major setting back. Many of the workers contracted the Spanish Flu and died in the early 1920s. A temple was built 1500 m from the castle for the deity Mariamman. Some say it was to protect those who lived on the property. Others say Kellie had it built as a way to thank Mariamman for granting his wish to have a son. However, the temple still stands and many continue to worship in it. The first elevator in Malaysia is located in Kellie’s Castle. It travels from the roof down to the underground tunnels. He also planned to build an indoor tennis court. The rooftop was reserved for a courtyard for parties. World War I slowed the process even more.

In the end, Kellie’s Castle was never completed. Smith took a short trip to Britain in 1926 supposedly with his daughter. It’s unknown why he made a detour to Lisbon, Portugal (some believe it was to pick up a lift for his new manor). In December of 1926, he contracted pneumonia and died at age of 56. Agnes later packed up and left Malaysia with her children back to Scotland. She sold the castle to a British company called Harrisons and Crossfield. Anthony Kellie Smith was killed in World War II. Helen never returned to Kellie’s Castle. The only thing left of the first home is the covered walkway, an open courtyard and part of a crumbling wall. Kellie’s Castle has been refurbished and appears as if it has never been touched.It was even used as a setting in the 1999 film Anna and the King.

Sunway Lost World of Tambun

The Sunway Lost World of Tambun is a first water theme park in ipoh and located in the historic town of ipoh, middle of the north-south corridor in perak and hidden amongst the lush greenery of Tambun, surrounding by limestone cliffs. The park will provide a much-anticipated family leisure attraction for anyone in the area.The theme park is landscaped with vines, creepers and lush tropical plants to give the illusion of a Lost World. It is opened since Nov 2004. This exciting water theme park in Tambun features a wave pool, natural hot spring, tube slides and also features a petting zoo. Ideal of family fun with young children.

Sam Poh Tong Temple

Sam Poh Tong is a famous cave temple located in Gunung Rapat, about 5km south of Ipoh. It is said to be the biggest cave temple in the country, and is an impressive work of art with various statues of Buddha interspersed among the stalactites and stalagmites.

According to legend, the cave was discovered in 1890 by a monk from China who was passing through Ipoh; he decided to make it his home and a place for meditation. He remained there for 20 years until his death. Till today, nuns and monks who dedicate their lives to Buddha still occupy the Sam Poh Tong.

The present temple facade dates back to the 1950s and a stiff climb of 246 steps will lead you to an open cave with an excellent view of Ipoh and its surroundings. Other attractions at the temple include a beautiful Japanese pond full of Japanese carps and tortoises, which are a symbols of longevity.

Ling Sen Tong Temple

Ling Sen Tong is a beautiful Taoist cave temple located at the foot of a limestone hill in Ipoh, Perak. The name is literally translated as the Rock of Heavenly Spirits. Ling Sen Tong cave temple is located next door to Nam Thean Tong and Sam Poh Tong just off Jalan Gopeng on the southern outskirts of Ipoh.

The main compound of the temple is adorned with many statues of various designs – there are various animals, deities, and other characters from the Chinese folklore. The garden in front is decorated with colourful statues of characters from Chinese mythology such as the Monkey King from the classic tale Journey to the West.

Kek Look Tong Temple

The Kek Lok Tong Cave Temple is a tourist attraction situated in the natural and picturesque area of Gunung Rapat in the south of Ipoh – the capital of Perak state in west Malaysia. The cave temple sits on a 12 acre site and was used as early as 1920 as a place of worship. In 1960, the cave became part of an iron mining site, this temple is set in a huge cave in the limestone outcrops behind Gunung Rapat, about 5km south of Ipoh City.

The Kek Lok Tong complex comprises a central altar featuring a number of Buddhist figures as well as various deities of the Chinese pantheon. The most unique about the caves is there are another great garden view once you get inside the caves. The limestone hill is made up of light grey to white crystalline Kinta limestone interbedded with about 5mm to 1cm think argillaceous material bands. Primary iron can still be seen within the limestone. The award winning landscape garden features a jogging path circling two lakes and one of the longest reflexology footpaths in Ipoh.

Kwan Yin Tong Temple

Kwan Yin Tong of Goddess of Mercy Cave Temple is located at Gunung Rapat. The limestone hill here has the highest number of cave temples in Ipoh. There are about 75 statues of Kwan Yin here. Kwan Yin is the bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The name Guanyin is short for Kwan (observe) Shi (world) Yin (sound) which means “Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World”. It is generally accepted (in the Chinese community) that Guanyin originated as the Sanskrit Avalokiteśvara, which is her male form.

Han Chin Pet Soo Museum

As heritage houses go in the heart of old town Ipoh, the Hakka Miners’ clubhouse Han Chin Pet Soo is one of the more prominent ones and has been a source of curiosity amongst the locals who never got to enter it. It provides an insight into the shadowy goings-on at the tin miners’ club where prostitution, gambling, opium smoking and triad activities were carried out behind the elegant facade of the club. The exhibition also tells the story of the Hakka people and gives an explanation of the tin mining industry.

This is a one-off chance to step back in time, the four evils which tempted and tormented Hakka tin miners, both rich and poor, were Opium, Gambling, Prostitution and the Triads. These are explained in some detail in the museum. A unique exhibition this is suitable for all races and religions which provides a great insight to the early history of the Chinese in Ipoh. On the third level, there are reconstructed rooms from the 1930s and 1960s era and a showcase of the migration of the Hakka community from China.

Gunung Lang Recretional Park

Gunung Lang Recreational Park, located off Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman (formerly Kuala Kangsar Road), It was opened in October 2000, Covering an area of 30.35 hectares out of which 14.16 hectares consists of the lake, the park is divided into two sections. It is developed around a scenic backdrop of limestone hills of Gunung Lang and Gunung Bilike.

The main attractions of Taman Rekreasi Gunung Lang are the man-made cascading waterfall atop a limestone hill, a 2km broadwalk over the swamp and lookout towers. There are also facilities like a children’s playground, campsite, mini zoo, a prayer room and washrooms. In order to reach there, one must pay RM3 (adult) / RM1.50 (Senior Citizen) for a boat ride from the jetty.

Tanjung Tualang Tin Dredge Ship

A tin dredge is like a floating factory. This one, named Tanjung Tualang Dredge No. 5, or TT5, weighs 4,500 tons and is supported by a pontoon of 75 meters in length, 35 meters in width and 3 meters in depth. It was built in England in 1938 by F.W.Payne & Son which, at that time, was a major design engineering company in bucketline dredges.

Tin dredges work by scooping up bucket loads of tin-bearing soil at the front end, which then passes through an oscillating drum and a system of jigs and screens to extract the tin, before spewing out the waste material at the rear end through a number of chutes.

This dredge was built for the Southern Malayan Tin Dredging Ltd, a company formed in 1926 which operated a further 5 dredges in the Batu Gajah and Tanjung Tualang area. TT5 was in operation for 44 years until 1982 by which time the Malaysian tin industry was in rapid decline due to a combination of exhausted tin deposits, low tin prices and high operating costs.

All the tin mining and dredging activity which took place for over a hundred years has left behind a pockmarked landscape running for hundreds of miles down the length of Peninsular Malaysia. But the scars have filled with water and cleaned up quite well and now serve new roles as fishing ponds, wetlands, water features for housing developments and so on.

Kinta RiverFront Walk

The Mini I-City of Ipoh which called the Kinta Riverfront Walk in Ipoh. There’s not only some beautiful LED lights on the trees (Just like I-City in Shah Alam), this Riverwalk also have some beautiful restaurant that faces the Ipoh river and frankly speaking, the river is not smelly and it’s a good place to visit. Majority of the Ipoh people have a new spot to hang on as Kinta Riverfront is a great spot to visit too with it’s superior night LED lights on the trees and real trees too.

According to the developer it will be completed somewhere in 2010. The river walk at Kinta riverfront is a romantic place by the river bank. With the kaleidoscopic neon trees, superb reflection into the water, oldies in the air (from live band at The Sands Bistro & Cafe), it is a perfect place to enjoy an evening stroll. On one side of the riverbank, the canopy is studded with twinkling sapphire and white lights, almost creating an illusion of a mini meteorite shower. A really stunning place to be. Enjoy the photos below. Head towards another side where there lies a mini Palong Tin Mining Gallery Museum.

Enlightened Heart Buddhist Temple

The Enlightened Heart Tibetan Temple was started in 1976 on a small piece of land about 500 metres remote from the road. In 1979 the present Master moved in and expansion began. It is now a major complex on 12 acres of land, with a 13-story pagoda which was built between 1996 and 2009. The largest Buddhist statue in Ipoh stand grand on the greenish limestone hills.

Enlightened Heart Buddhist Temple, also known as Jingang Jing She by the locals is surrounded by magnificent perimeters of luscious valleys, orchards and limestone hills. More than 200 statues displayed in the temple was a sight to behold. The amalgam of influences rendered the decorations, statues, deities and paintings slightly different from the common Buddhist or Taoist temples.

Tua Pek Kong Temple

The more than 100-year-old Tua Pek Kong Temple at Pasir Panjang near here has become a popular tourist attraction in the Manjung district. This temple is an attraction site in Lumut, Malaysia. It is famous for the gigantic God statues and the blessings. Many who went there to pray had won lottery. That is also the reason how it can change from a small temple into an attraction site. It is because Chinese believe that when you strike a jackpot, you have to donate part of it as charity. So, you can imagine how many donation it has received from these people, in order to turn it into such a beautiful place with so many giant statues.

The main attraction drawing crowds of local and out-of-town visitors are 98 statues of deities and animals from the Chinese lunar calendar on the well-landscaped three-hectare compound. There are also 11 statues measuring between 2.1m and 14.6m in height on a broad-based, two-metre high classical facade facing the sea. Taking centre stage is the gigantic Da Bo Gong statue, along with statues of Jiu Tian Xuan Nu, Yu Nu, Guan Yin Niang Niang, Jin Tong, Wu Guan, Wen Guan, Qian Li Yan, Ma Zu, Shun Feng Er and Hu Ye.

D.R. Seenivasagam Park

If you want to spend a with your family in a fresh and tranquil environment surrounded by the lush greenery and enjoying recreational facilities throughout the day, there is no place better than the D.R. Seenivasagam Park. Named after a well known politician, the park was built in 1960. The park consists of bike park, nursery, children play area, Japanese Zen garden, lake, beautiful shelters for picnic and the renowned Ipoh tree. There are several other amusement and recreational facility in the park which you can enjoy with your family.

Highlights: The Japanese Zen Garden is one of the important features of the park with an artificial carp pond. You can also try bike riding at the bike part. If you do not have your own bike, you can rent bikes at a nominal rate.

Geological Museum

Established in 1957, the Geological Museum in Ipoh has exhibits which display more than six hundred mineral and 150 rock specimens and more than two hundred gemstones. The museum also has exhibits to display more than 200 fossils. Spread across an area of 343 square meters, the museum is neatly divided in 7 different zones, which covers the history as well as the geological heritages of the country.

The first zone has displays related to the history of the museum and earth as well as murals depicting geological structures. Going ahead you can see amazing displays of dinosaur fossils, crystals and minerals.

Ipoh Railway Station

The Ipoh railway station was initially meant to be a hospital and used before the 20th century as such before being turned into a station. The original completion year of 1917 was delayed for three years due to lack of construction materials as well as high costs during World War I. Designed by Arthur Benison Hubback, it was first constructed and opened in 1935, making it the second concrete station to be constructed in the town. The Ipoh station was used as a shooting location for the film Anna and the King, starring Jodie Foster. The building also houses the hotel called the Majestic Hotel.

Funtasy House Trick Art

Funtasy House is an amazing trick art gallery in Ipoh, featuring a number of 3D murals and drawings. The gallery was opened in November 2015 and consists of twenty 3D exhibits to create visual illusion for fun and fantasy. The gallery is still a work in progress but draws a lot of visitors. The gallery is designed by nine artists who collaborated together to bring to life these amazing trick arts.

Heritage House Muzeum Gopeng

The moment one steps inside the Heritage House Muzium Gopeng, a visitor would be able to recapture the simple yet dazzling lives of the people of Gopeng some 125 years ago through the numerous antiquities, antiques, old furniture and calligraphy paintings on display.

Wang Kun-xiang, the financial controller of the Heritage House, has a special preference for antique collection and has desired to establish a nostalgic house that would show the modern residents the bustling life, culture and customs of people living in the town more than a century ago.

On the ground floor, there is a barber shop, kopitiam and a feng shui air well filled with bonsai trees and relics from the near past. Up above, living areas have been decorated and filled with priceless decorations and furnishings that accurately reflect what life would have been like for a middle-class family at the turn of the 20th century in Gopeng, and indeed the surrounding areas.

Wall Art Mural

The paintings were painted on old, heritage buildings, an effort i find commendable in preserving these rare gems. The paintings, dated this year, highlight the many cultures of Malaysia: lion dance, kuda kepang dance, Indian dance, a Kadazan; with a pinch of cheekiness with popular childhood games like hide-and-seek and mother hen, and a beautiful waterfall scenery, amongst others.

The wonderful wall art that started in Penang has come to Ipoh. Initiated by art teacher, Eric Lai, who runs an art school Artgene Studio in Bercham, he had just completed his seventh and last mural at the lane in between Jalan Masjid and Jalan Sultan Iskandar (Hugh Low Street).

Japanese Garden

Japanese Garden, or “Taman Jepun” in Malay language is a quaint, serene garden situated on Tambun Road (Jalan Raja Di Hilir) in Ipoh. Established in the early 1960s, the park is a popular site for couples and those wanting to take wedding photographs. Japanese Garden just next to the Perak Turf club in Ipoh, is a quaint garden landscaped with tropical flowers,plants and trees including the quintessential Japanese bonsai plant and pond.

This public park recreates the aesthetics of a Japanese garden. A small Japanese house, a koi pond and a wooden bridge across a stream are some of the elements. The grounds are lush with a variety of beautiful tropical flowers, plants and trees. An idiosyncratic attraction is the colourful solar-powered floral clock on a slope, which was imported from Holland.

Perak Herbal Garden

Perak Herb Garden also known as the Herbs Park is a stunning nature park located in a village called Kampung Kepayang, off Jalan Simpang Pulai – Batu Gajah. The garden, which is approximately 50 acres wide, is home to more than five hundred species of plants, all with different properties; including medical, cosmetic and aroma-therapeutic.

The participants were also exposed to local herbs and plants that are either remedial or hazardous. The visit was such an enlightening experience because it educates the participants with the knowledge on how herbs and plants are able to cure cancer and cardiac diseases. The collection included Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia), which is used as an aphrodisiac for men.

There are guided tours, where the guides would explain about the plants in detail and their specific functions. You’d be surprised to find just the right herb for whatever ailment that you may be suffering from.

Food in Ipoh, Perak

Ben & Lynette Maison Patisserie

A little tucked away in the black lanes, Ben & Lynette Maison Patisserie is set in a colonial mansion serving pasta, pizzas, desserts and with a pick your own salad bar, you can easily customize salads and sandwiches to your liking any time from 9 am to 12.30 am.

Bougainvillea city café@ ipoh

An early 1900s builded british influences architecture, cafe located in the heart of the downtown Ipoh city. Simple, artful Designs to emphasize the local artists work thrive to memoir our historical city which was once ” city of millionaire “. Located at 21 Jalan Lau Ek Ching, Ipoh 30300, Malaysia. Phone Number: +60 5-241 2500

Coffee at 91@Ipoh

With K-Pop music in the background, pastel coloured wall and dainty embellishment, Coffee-At-91 exude a dreamy, Korean ambience. Serving mostly desserts and coffee, Café-At-91 located in the same complex as Tambun Inn Hotel. The Café-At-91, is located at 91 Jalan Raja Dihilir, 30350 Ipoh, Perak. The opening hours was about 11.30am-6.30p and closed on Tuesdays. The Café contact no 012-576 1687.

Espresso Lab

One of the famous café in ipoh. Is stylish modern concept. Is located at 105 Jalan Canning Estate 31400 Ipoh, Perak. Opening hours from Monday to Thursday from 10am to 7pm meanwhile on Friday and Saturday the opening hours about 10sm-10pm.

The Happy 8 Retreat Café

Designed with retreat and nature in mind, the earth toned café has many wood and forest elements. The main courses on the menu consists of a good mix of local and western food at typical pricing though the desserts are pricey, sometimes even more costing more than the main courses.

The café is located at 46 Jalan Market, 30000 Ipoh, Perak and is open daily. For more information about the café you may call 05-243 8388.

JJ Café @ Ipoh

Is a chic café adding to the ever-expanding café scene in ipoh. Sitting at a different spot within the café might make you feel that you are sitting in different café all together, yet all the electric corners merge together to give you uniquely JJ Café. There is a “homey” corner with basket, the decorations, the books and the throws. There is a also a sweet corner with the sky blue wall, the flowers and the plush toys. This is an ordering counter. The café may have different concept within, rest assured that JJ Cafe brims with life and rainbows of colours where corners are filled with the owner’s personal touches.

Missing Marble @ Ipoh

Disguised as an optical shop, Missing Marble is a café with an Asian flair in terms of food selection, located in Ipoh old town. The façade of the café still bears the old yellow sign board of “star optical house”. The smaller sign board of “missing marble” might just give you the slightest of what the café theme might be. With school-tables-looks-a-likes, worn walls, random child’s play displayed around, hopscotch on the corridor, the Missing Marble reminisces an old school playground. Missing’s Marble menu is on the wall. The café is located at 99 Jalan Sultan Yussuf, Ipoh,Perak. Opening hours is 8.30am-8.30pm and closed on Tuesdays. For more detail can contact 05-241 1564.

The Myth Eatery & Bar Cafe

The Myth Eatery & Bar is a cafe in M Boutique Hotel that serves quick bites, main courses in both Western and Asian, desserts and drinks, brought to you by the same team behind Jose & Deli Eatery.

UNSTOPPABLE FUN

ACTIVITIES TICKETS

PACK AND GO

AWESOME TOUR

A delicious, fun tasting tour of restaurants and eateries of Ipoh. Perfect not only for a first-time visitor to Ipoh, but also for the Ipohian. This tour will open your palate through bites and tastings at extraordinary specialty food stores, and other notable eateries while providing a local’s perspective on some culture, history and architecture of Ipoh. Food tastings are included in the ticket price and is enough food for all the meals.

A 5 days journey from Ipoh to Penang. You may stop by at Ipoh and visit Tambun Lost World Hot Spring & Spa. Not to forget, explore Gaharu Tea Farm and Pamelo Farm, before you transfer to Betong for more interesting adventure at Largest Post Box in Asia, the Buddhist Temple. Expect a thrilling experience as you will transfer from Betong to Penang and explore Penang in their Penang City Tour.

A wholesome family experience awaits you behind our majestic walls with everything you could possibly want from amusement park rides to eco-adventure thrills! That’s not all, it is also located in one of Malaysia’s most historic city, rich with culture and heritage. More than just a themepark, it's a destination. Later, experience Ipoh Heritage Tour as Ipoh is known for its rich cultural history and astounding places!

RECOMMENDED HOTELS

Located in the city off Jalan Sultan Iskandar and within close vicinity to shops , business and entertainment joints. It provide pleasant and nice with modern ambiance while boasting its unique offers to the guests.

Weil Hotel is located at the heart of Ipoh , adjoining the ever popular Ipoh Parade shopping centre. The destination for all the business and leisurely needs. Rejuvenate your sense at our rooftop infinity pool while relishing scenic sights of Ipoh town. WEIL Hotel is a destination like no other!

Hotel Casuarina@Meru is Perak best lifestyle and staycation for both business and leisure travellers. The hotel offers business and leisure travellers a casual comfort and convenience experience.You’ll be contented to stay here every time you step your feet to Ipoh.

The Impiana Hotel Ipoh, Perak is ideal for both business and leisure travelers with high speed connectivity, convenience store, modern banquet facilities and great eateries to suit every occasion. The hotel offers guestrooms with breathtaking views of the rugged limestone hills of Ipoh.